Marian University men’s soccer received 75 total points to finish 10th in the NACC preseason poll, as voted on by the sports information professionals and head coaches of the conference.

Edgewood was picked as the favorite to repeat atop the NACC table receiving 326 points and 19 of the 26 first-place vots.  MSOE wasn’t far behind with its 306 points and four first-place picks.  Dominican also had a pair of first-place votes to finish third at 289 points, while Aurora was fourth at 274 points along with the final first-place selection.  St. Norbert College was the final school to receive more than 200 points at 227.

The final three schools in the preseason NACC Tournament were separated by just eight points in WLC (177), Illinois Tech (175), and Concordia Wisconsin (169).  Benedictine was the final school to earn more than 100 points at 153.  Marian and Concordia Chicago were separated by just two points with the Sabres grabbing 75 points and the Cougars 73.  Rockford and Lakeland rounded out the poll at 66 and 56 points, respectively.

The opening day of NACC play is slated for Wednesday, September 17 when St. Norbert makes a visit to Marian at 7 p.m.

The top eight teams in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the NACC’s postseason tournament. First-round games are slated for Saturday, Nov. 1, followed by semifinals on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and the tournament final on Saturday, Nov. 8. The tournament champion receives the NACC’s automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship.

Marian opens the season hosting Carthage under the lights of Smith Field Friday, August 29 at 7 p.m.